Billy Corgan’s Resistance Pro Wrestling debuts

Billy Corgan’s Resistance Pro Wrestling debuted this past weekend at the Excalibur nightclub in Chicago. They crowned Melanie Cruise as their first women’s champion, pinning Cheerleader Melissa in a gauntlet, and their first heavyweight champion will be decided in a three-way at a later date between The Sheik, Kevin Steen and DH Smith. Going in the promotion got some mainstream play on ESPN, Yahoo, and Billboard. Corgan has said he wants to be the first wrestling promotion to work with Chris Nowinski, co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute, to make concussion safety part of their
protocol. “It’s a serious endeavor. I want this to succeed strictly on its ideas,” he told Billboard. “If I had to artificially prime the
audience because of my musical life that’s sad. This is going to succeed on its own ideas, not because I jumped the shark.” The show at the
Excalibur was geared towards adults, which restricted the audience to over 21s due to the location, but the atmosphere was said to be very
good, described as an underground ECW type feel. Raven was brought in as head agent and former ECW personality Joel Gertner did some mic work.
Among the well-known talent who worked were; The Briscoe’s, El Generico, Colt Cabana, Necro Butcher, Petey Williams, Teddy Hart, Shane Douglas,
Tara from TNA, and former WWE announcer Mike Adamle, who was booed out of the building. Corgan was not at the show, as his band the Smashing
Pumpkins are currently on tour in Europe, but he was reportedly watching live via Skype. The next event was announced back at the Excalibur on 1/13. RPW is a joint partnership between Corgan and brothers Jacques and Gabriel Baron.